Abstract

I. Introduction

A Culture assessment in the workplace has several advantages to organizations. In

the first place, it allows leaders and managers to pinpoint strengths and

shortcomings in the culture. They can use this knowledge to focus more on strengths

and improve weaknesses thus creating a more favorable work

environment. Additionally, measuring organizational culture will enable leaders to

determine the extent to which the culture affects employee satisfaction,

engagement, and performance. If there is a high level of congruence between the

personal values and the culture of the organization, employees become more

motivated, committed, and productive. Finally, a cultural analysis can offer insight

into an organization’s capacity to transform and adapt. Knowing the culture in which

they operate enables leaders to identify potential roadblocks to change that will help

them come up with ways to remove them and create a culture of continuous

development. Assessing an organization's culture, to learn whether it nourishes and

promotes innovation and creativity or whether it is stifling and destructive, is an

important exercise for those who want a better, more positive, and productive

workplace. At its most basic, culture is the shared values, beliefs, behaviours, and

norms that shape a workplace and how employees interact with each other and with

the organization itself. Assessing your organization’s culture can provide important,

even critical, insights that allow leaders and managers to recognize the strengths

they must build on to make the organization even stronger and the weaknesses they
must address to make changes that stick. It is a means they can use to effect culture

change and align their culture with strategic goals.

Observation and analysis of day-to-day operations and patterns of interactions

within the workplace is also another effective way of assessing organizational

culture. This involves observing the employees in communication, collaboration,

decision making, the physical setting, the symbols, and the rituals that define the

culture. Through closely observing these areas, organizations can discover underlying

cultural assumptions and behaviours that may otherwise go undetected with surveys

or interviews. In summary, evaluation of organizational culture in the workplace is an

important undertaking for any organization aiming at improving organizational

performance and employee satisfaction. Through the understanding of the current

culture, organizations can pin down the areas that require improvement, match the

culture with their strategic objectives, and foster a productive and work-friendly

culture. Considering the different methods and tools, it is possible to gain cultural

information that will help leaders and managers better make decisions for necessary

cultural change applicable in each organization or company depending on the needs.

II. Objectives

The objectives in assessing organizational culture in the workplace can include:

1. Understanding the current culture: Evaluating the organizational culture also

contributes to the understanding of the prevailing values, beliefs, norms, and

behaviors within the work setting. This knowledge allows the organizations to

determine their strengths and areas that require improvement.

2. Identifying alignment with organizational goals: Evaluating the culture helps in

deciding whether the culture is consistent with the organization’s mission and vision.

It is useful in determining whether the culture promotes or obstructs the realization

of intended results.

3. Identifying cultural gaps: Evaluating organizational culture enables the

identification of any gaps between the ideal culture and the reality. This allows

organizations to identify where modifications or interventions are required so that

the culture is aligned with the desired state.

4. Enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction: Detecting the culture enables

understanding how the work environment affects employee engagement and

satisfaction. It helps in determining the elements that promote a conducive work

environment, leading to employee motivation and greater output.

5. Facilitating change management: Measuring corporate culture aids in detecting

barriers to cultural change. It helps organizations to understand whether the current

culture may prevent or support change initiatives, that will let them create

appropriate strategies to control the change.

 6. Strengthening leadership and decision-making: The evaluation of culture leads to

the evaluation of leadership styles and decision-making processes in an organization.

It allows organizations to pinpoint areas where leadership practices can be enhanced

to create a better and more diverse culture.

7. Attracting and retaining talent: Evaluating the organizational culture aids in

determining if the culture is appealing to potential job seekers and if it is in line with

the demands of current employees. A positive culture can contribute to attracting

and retaining the best people in the organization resulting to high retention rate.

8. Promoting diversity and inclusion: The evaluation of the culture permits one to

gauge the degree of diversity and inclusion within the organization. It allows

companies to make an inventory of bias or barriers that may exist and come up with

ways to create an inclusive culture.

III. In general, evaluation of organizational culture in the working environment enables

one to determine the current state, define improvement areas, and match the

culture with the organization, resulting in a smarter and more effective workforce.
Scopes

There are different scopes and limitations to assessing organizational culture in the

workplace that depend on several factors. Here are some common scopes and

limitations:

1. Comprehensive understanding: Culture assessment allows in-depth knowledge of

the attitudes, beliefs, and practices that define the work setting. It helps in

identifying both manifest and latent components of culture.

2. Multidimensional analysis: Through assessment, culture can also be analyzed on

a multidimensional level, considering elements like communication channels,

leadership structures, decision-making processes, employee involvement, diversity

and inclusion, and organizational objectives.

3. Comparison and benchmarking: Measuring culture allows organizations to

determine their culture in comparison to standards or best practices of the industry.

It allows for benchmarking against other organizations as well as identifying areas for

improvement.

4. Customization: Organizations can tailor the assessment process to their individual

needs and goals. They have access to a wide range of assessment tools, surveys,

interviews, and observations, among others, to collect information relevant to the

research.

5. Actionable insights: Measuring culture uncovers practical information that directs

organizational interventions and initiatives. It assists in creating approaches to link

the culture to desired results and fosters employee engagement and satisfaction.
Limitations:

1. Subjectivity: The assessment of culture has some level of subjectivity because it

involves interpretation and analysis of qualitative data. While people may view the

same culture from different perspectives, bias or inconsistencies may arise.

2. Complexity: The organizational culture can be described as a multilevel concept

that is hard to understand, analyze, and evaluate. It may include non-tangible

elements that are not easy to quantify.

3. Limited scope of assessment tools: Some assessment tools consider only some

aspects of culture and may not accurately reflect the entire organizational culture.

This restriction may lead to some comprehension of the culture only.

4. Resistance to change: Measuring a culture may also face resistance from

employees or leaders who are afraid of the possible consequences of the assessment

results. However, this resistance may reduce the efficiency of the assessment process

as well as subsequent interventions.

5. Time and resource constraints: Culture measurement takes time, money, and

knowledge to collect data, analyze the data and create actionable insights. Limited

resource organizations may face difficulties in conducting a thorough evaluation.

6. External factors: The external factors that affect organizational culture include the

trend in the industry, economic conditions, and the society. Such external factors

may limit the control or change of the culture by the organization.

With that said, the evaluation of the organizational culture is still a strong and useful tool that
organizations can use to gain meaning, identify areas for improvement, and align the culture
with the goals and values.